What the law requires
10 chapters · 8 instrumentsEN 301 549 by clause, and which version of WCAG each jurisdiction actually binds.
The finding. European accessibility law is not WCAG. WCAG is clause 9 of thirteen; there are more requirements for native software than for the web, and a whole chapter on reaching emergency services. Meanwhile US federal procurement is still bound to WCAG 2.0 — a 2008 standard, in 2026.
EN 301 549
| Clause | Chapter | What it covers | Sub |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Functional performance | what a user must be able to do, regardless of technology | 13 |
| 5 | Generic requirements | applies to all ICT | 20 |
| 6 | ICT with two-way voice communication | telephony, real-time text, video relay | 16 |
| 7 | ICT with video capabilities | captions and audio description | 11 |
| 8 | Hardware | physical controls, tactile markings, biometrics | 20 |
| 9 | Web WCAG lives here | this is where WCAG lives — one clause of thirteen | 19 |
| 10 | Non-web documents | PDFs, office files, ebooks | 20 |
| 11 | Software | native applications and platform accessibility services | 32 |
| 12 | Documentation and support services | help that is itself accessible | 8 |
| 13 | ICT providing relay or emergency service access | 999, 112, 911 | 9 |
§Who binds which WCAG
| Jurisdiction | Instrument | Binds | Dated | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | EN 301 549 v3.2.1 | WCAG 2.1 AA | 2021-03 | public sector ICT procurement and services |
| European Union | Web Accessibility Directive (EU) 2016/2102 | via EN 301 549 | 2016-10 | public sector websites and mobile apps |
| European Union | European Accessibility Act (EU) 2019/882 | via EN 301 549 | 2019-04 | private sector products and services, applying from 2025 |
| United States | Section 508 (Revised 508 Standards) | WCAG 2.0 AA | 2017-01 | federal agency ICT procurement |
| United States | ADA Title II web rule (DOJ) | WCAG 2.1 AA | 2024-04 | state and local government, phased by population |
| United Kingdom | Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 | WCAG 2.1 AA | 2018-09 | public sector websites and apps |
| Canada | Accessible Canada Act / CAN-ASC standards | WCAG 2.1 AA | 2019-07 | federally regulated entities |
| Australia | Digital Service Standard / DDA guidance | WCAG 2.1 AA | 2021 | Australian Government digital services |
Source. ETSI EN 301 549 V3.2.1; national legal instruments · ETSI publication · public legal instruments · retrieved 2026-07-31. This collection is reproduced + hand-built.